The school is rated 8, and is really good - no brainer for me, STAY PUT.

In a new school, my primary concerns would be 1)teacher qualifictions 2) teacher past performance, and 3) how well teachers and administraiton will get along.

It would be hard to research teacher qualifications and past perfomance, and even if you could you don't know what teacher your child would be assigned to. You are putting together a whole new team of teachers, support staff, and adminstration. No way to know if they will get along, and a lot of energy will be spent working out systems.

No brainer - STAY PUT! :)

Go to the new school,take a tour and meet the staff. Sometimes what sounds good on paper isn't as great as you might think. Something to think about is maybe waiting for the school to open up, work all the bugs out of their program and check it out next year. But, If your happy with your school, why change?

I think you are wise to weigh the pros and cons, and realize that there can be growing pains with a new school. I'd definitely make a point of making an appointment with the principal at the new school because the principal will set the tone for the culture at the school. Ask if parent involvement will be encouraged. Will they be hiring both new and experienced teachers? What activities will they engage in to make the school a welcoming place and to start to create a school community there? I remember when they opened a new school in my neighborhood. It was a very positive experience because the parents were very involved from the get-go and the school had a lot of activities to welcome everyone.